Ne Me Quitte Pas
by l0x0r
Summary: Sequal to Miles to Go Before I Wake. What trials face Kuno as he matures and realizes that perhaps his love is not for Ranma or Akane?
1. Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

I do not own Ranma ½

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**Ne Me Quitte Pas**

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The world had changed, yet the only thing different was himself.

This was the train of thought which kept running through Tatewaki's mind following his recovery from the morning's beating. After his departure from the nurse's office he had rushed to speak with his father, about what he was not sure. But the dream he had dreamt seemed too real, too plausible, and too prophetic, somehow it demanded that some sort of action had to be taken in order to avoid its unfortunate ending.

However once he reached his father's office, Tatewaki had been informed by the principal's secretary that the elder Kuno had been taken to the hospital as a result of an altercation between himself and Ranma. Although it seemed as if the admittance to the hospital stemmed more from the principal's capriciousness and fondness for the hair cut of one of the attending nurses, than from any actual need.

So, assured that his father was in no real immediate danger, Tatewaki decided to return to class, mostly in order to give himself time to digest his dream, and to figure out how best to approach the rest of his family about the issues that it had raised, without sounding insane. At least more insane than normal.

On his frantic journey to the office, Tatewaki had not given any attention to his surroundings, but on his more sedate trek back to his classroom Tatewaki began to notice minor changes in the world around him.

The most obvious was the lack of any gazes of admiration. He passed a few of his fellow students in the hallway, who the day before would have been staring at him in awe, waiting with bated breath for the words of wisdom he was sure to give. Yet today few if any of the students looked at him at all, and the few who did looked at him not with admiration, but scorn and annoyance.

The building itself seemed slightly different as well, where previously it had been a rather bright and clean building, well blending traditional architecture with a few modern flourishes, it was darker somehow. Not really dark, thanks to omnipresent fluorescent lighting, but rather darker somehow than he remembered it. Also while by no means filthy, it seemed dingier, the floor sparkled and the walls were clean, yet for some reason Tatewaki felt that if he turned his head quickly there would be a pile of dirt or cobwebs stuck in a corner somewhere. The building also had lost all touches with the past. It was just another modern building created with form following function, and its function was to provide as spartan a space as possible so all attention could be provided to learning.

Somehow the changes to the building seemed to impact Tatewaki more than the changes in the students.

He had arrived at his classroom, and after opening the door was both surprised and slightly dismayed at the changes which had occurred in his absence. The instructor was older, shorter, and balder than he remembered. The room smaller and darker, the students were split between those near the front who were paying rapt attention to the lesson, and those in the rear who were tolerating it with indifference. The latter where the only ones to look up when he came into the class, and they regarded him not with admiration but rather with mockery and indifference reserved for something which is troublesome, but is of slightly more interest than staring at the ceiling for the rest of the lecture.

Tatewaki entered into a kind of stupor as he took in all the changes which had happened. A stupor which was broken when his eyes fell on the only person who seemed unchanged from the previous day, Nabiki Tendo. She had turned around in her seat to see who had interrupted the class, but after realizing that it was just Tatewaki, she had returned to paying attention to the instructor.

Still slightly dazed Tatewaki made his way to his seat, on the way noticing a few other changes to the classroom, the desks and books in the classroom were more worn, and someone had scratched into the wall just below the window, "Fuck you." It was an average high school classroom, and Tatewaki was seeing it for the first time.

Tatewaki finally reached his seat, and upon attaining it, brooded in silence trying to absorb all the changes that had taken place to the world in which he lived in. The instructor continued to drone on without interruption, either not noticing or not caring about Tatewaki's entrance.

Thankfully Tatewaki's beating in the morning had been rather severe so that the majority of the day had passed before he regained consciousness. It was the final period of the day, so only half an hour lapsed while Tatewaki was struggling with his thoughts before the bell signaling the end of the day rang.

Quickly the class broke up into small groups, some students leaving to go to club activities, some to cleaning duties, some to just gossip before starting the walk home. As usual there was a small group congregating around Nabiki, lackeys receiving orders, and customers buying photos, placing bets, and transacting the other minor deals which provided the girl with her daily income.

Tatewaki however was torn. As captain of the kendo club he should already be on his way to the practice area to prepare his equipment to aid in the training of his fellow swordsmen, but for some reason he found that he did not really feel up to the task of swordplay, and kendo was important to Tatewaki, so important that if he did not fully feel passionate about it, then he might as well not even pick up his bokken.

On the other hand he could not go to Nabiki as usual either. Where normally he would almost immediately have leapt up to demand if there were any new photos of his two loves, thanks to the realism of his dream, he was confused as to whether he truly loved Akane Tendo and the Pig Tailed Goddess, or perhaps if he somehow harbored feelings for Nabiki.

Having lacked the appropriate amount of time to fully understand his befuddled mind, Tatewaki elected to merely leave the school quietly and seek out his father. Not sure if he had homework or not, Tatewaki decided that he would just leave his school books and other materials in the classroom rather than be burdened with them.

So with one final glance in the direction of Nabiki, Tatewaki left the classroom and the school grounds, his absence noted only by Nabiki who had kept an unobtrusive eye on the boy since his uncharacteristic actions in the nurse's clinic. She wasn't sure what exactly was going on with Tatewaki, but she had the feeling that once she did figure it out, there was money to be made.

Tatewaki meanwhile had left school grounds and had begun to travel in the direction of the hospital that his father's secretary had told him his father had been taken to. The trek was roughly twelve kilometers away, but Tatewaki decided that walking would better fit his state of mind than taking a taxi. So, lost in thought, Tatewaki sedately made his way through the streets of Nerima, his traditional style of clothing drawing only a minimal amount of attention.

The trip took a little under two hours, two hours in which Tatewaki mulled over the state of his life. For the first time in many years, he meditated upon the loss of his mother, very briefly of course, the increasingly strained relationship between him and Kodachi, and of the many changes brought about by the abrupt return of his most likely insane father. Tatewaki came to the conclusion that his familial life was in an awful state, and if things continued the way in which they were heading, then the many problems in the Kuno household would only continue to enlarge until anything resembling a Kuno family would disappear.

To have a father which one despised and feared, a father who was the target of ridicule and mockery, such a state of affairs was insufferable. Added to this was a sister who was obsessive to a fault, who was an elitist in the foulest sense of the word, believing herself to be superior over all others because she was wealthier than most. A sister who had begun to train and be involved in martial arts in order to impress her brother, but ultimately lost sight of her goal, and now hated and cursed that same brother.

Then of course there was Tatewaki himself, he was not without fault. For years, probably since his mother's death, he had begun to refuse to see the world as how it actually was; preferring instead to pretend that it was a better place, a noble place which echoed the beauty and splendor found in the past.

In the previous centuries, people had been more polite, more courteous and well mannered, princesses were kept in towers and knights trained their whole lives to save them. The past was simple, elegant, and in every way preferable to the gritty materialistic present. At least that was the thought process under which Tatewaki had labored for years, and still did to a certain extent. He still felt that the past was much better than the present, and likely to be better than any future which could come about from such a sorry present.

But he had come to the realization that however idealized the past was, it was the past, and he lived in the present. While it might be acceptable to fantasize about such a wonderful time, he could not afford to delude himself into believing that he lived there rather than in modern Japan.

He had just come to this epiphany when Tatewaki arrived at the hospital. It was a stereotypical hospital, a huge modern building, its outside peppered with an enormous amount of windows, almost all of which had their blinds closed to the outside world. Another sign of the times, people performing architectural wonders to allow inhabitants to view the outside world, and no one wishes to do so.

Tatewaki bypassed the emergency entrance, noting the many signs informing him that it was for ambulance personnel only, and made his way to the main entrance of the hospital. He entered through a pair of sliding glass doors, an imitation of an airlock, trying to keep the conditioned air inside the building and the natural air in nature.

He walked through a lobby devoid of almost any ornamentation aside from the hospital's logo prominently painted on one wall, the harsh fluorescent lights reflecting from the mirror-like tile floor. Tatewaki made his way across the vast sterile space to a large desk, behind which two attendants appeared to be frantically working, each with a phone held to their head by their shoulder, and shuffling various papers with their open hands.

Tatewaki stepped up to edge of the desk, and politely stood there, waiting for one of the receptionists to finish their conversation and deign to notice his existence. A few minutes passed while the two women continued their hushed conversations, but eventually one of them was forced to hang up, and with the air of being put upon, turned to face Tatewaki.

"Yes, may I help you?" She asked.

Tatewaki smiled in a hopefully disarming manner and replied, "I believe that my father was brought to this hospital following an unfortunate altercation with one of his students, I would like to see him in order to ascertain the extent of his injuries myself, as well as discuss with him matters of utmost importance which any delay can only serve to augment their direness."

The receptionist regarded Tatewaki for a few moments with an expression of dull disbelief. As if to ask who actually talked in such a manner, and if they should quickly return to whatever medication they were taking for their mental maladies. She then asked, "Name?"

"Our family name is Kuno, a name transcendent of time, descendent from …" Kuno trailed off, noticing that not only was he once again lapsing into pattern of speech which only served to impress upon others his lack of mental stability, but also that at the mention of Kuno the receptionist's expression had darkened.

"I'm sorry sir, but Mr. Kuno has left very explicit instructions that he is not to be disturbed, especially by his family."

Tatewaki was confused, "Surly there is some sort of mistake, I'm sure that my father would enjoy, nay dare I say expect, his only son to visit him during his hour of need."

The receptionist sighed, "Actually Mr. Kuno stated, and I quote," she said looking down at a paper on the desk, "'My ungrateful son might come by, don't let him visit me. But if my darling daughter comes to visit, send her on up.' So as you can see Mr. Kuno, I'm afraid that you can't see your father."

"But…" Tatewaki started dejectedly.

"Sir, if you continue to attempt to visit a patient against their wishes, I'm going to have to call security to escort you from the premises."

Tatewaki slumped his shoulders in defeat. "Can you at least tell me if he is alright?" He asked sadly.

"I'm sorry sir, but that would be a violation of patient confidentiality. Now please leave before I have to make you leave." The receptionist said, picking up her telephone with a menacing air.

Tatewaki nodded in defeat and retreated back across the vast lobby, wondering at his father's actions. Of course Tatewaki had acted with animosity towards his father even before he left on his trip to Hawaii; however he had never expected his father to really take offence at his actions, and reciprocate.

He left the hospital, once again alone with his thoughts, primarily circling his relationships with his father and sister, and how he had been actively driving a gulf between himself and the closest members of his family. Tatewaki walked home, reminiscing and mentally flinching over his previous actions as well as those of his father and sister, which had been deliberate in pushing each other away. At least pushing Tatewaki away.

Kodachi had been very young when their mother had died, and their father had left them, so her memories of the events where much hazier than Tatewaki's. Tatewaki had known his father, had known what type of man he was, and had never forgiven him. There had been many times recently that Tatewaki had wished that his father had remained in Hawaii. However Kodachi, having lacked a father so long, and without any real memories of her father before he left, had embraced their father upon his return, idiosyncrasies and all. It seemed that they had built some sort of relationship void of Tatewaki, and the distance that Tatewaki had willingly placed between himself and his father, as well as himself and his sister, created a wall in the three way relationship with Tatewaki on one side and his sister and father on the other.

Following another two hour trek, Tatewaki returned home wearied in body and spirit. There was an incessant pounding behind his eyes, brought about no doubt by the hours he had spent on unfamiliar introspection. It was exacerbated by his confusion surrounding his father's actions, as well as the changes he had noticed in his schoolmates. Had he truly been mad? How else could he have been so blind to the realities of his life?

Tatewaki sighed as the afternoon fell into evening and he found himself at the gate to the Kuno estate, the long shadows from the buildings opposite moving to cover exterior wall in darkness. He paused for a moment upon the doorstep, the desire to avoid any more unpleasant revelations warring with the knowledge that he had nowhere else to go really.

Resigning himself to his fate, Tatewaki unlocked the door and slipped inside. When the door shut behind him he found himself trapped in a courtyard of evening shadows, made darker somehow by the presence of a silence born of abandonment. There were trees in abundance in the yard, but no birds sang in them, large areas of grass bordering on the unruly, but no breeze to ruffle it.

It seemed almost as if in the Kuno estate, nature had stopped, as if it had written off that particular portion of the world as a lost cause. Even the sun seemed to shine upon the lawn and house begrudgingly, never with the warm yellow of the morning sun, but always with the cold red sun of twilight.

Tatewaki took in all of this as he unhurriedly made his way along the footpath from the gate of the estate to the front door of the main house. He noticed the seemingly perpetual gloom under the many trees, the pond and stream built to house koi, now too toxic for any life other than Mr. Turtle, and he realized that in the almost two decades of his life, he had never seen a single bloom or shoot from the seemingly miles of shrubbery surrounding the house.

He reached the main house and entered, finding a home of gloom, the only source of light provided by the setting sun, penetrating the few windows uncovered and facing the west, only to die after a few feet, the victim of the omnipresent darkness.

Tatewaki removed his shoes in the entranceway, the padding of his socked feet juxtaposed by the ticking of a distant clock, the only two sounds in the house. He felt as if in a tomb rather than a home, a place of long dead memories and perpetual silence, a home for the dead rather than the living.

He passed the hallway which was the entrance to the suite of rooms belonging to his sister. It was as dark and silent as the rest of the house, signifying that Kodachi was likely still at school, practicing with the gymnastics team, or out in town dissuading a rival from competing, or perhaps face down dead in a ditch somewhere. For the past several years Tatewaki had not really cared about his sister's whereabouts, and the feeling was reciprocated. It was not uncommon for days, even weeks to pass without the two meeting one another, and both brother and sister welcomed such a state of affairs.

Now however, Tatewaki paused momentarily before the entrance to his sister's domain, contemplating the silence, and for the first time in a very long while, hoping that she was alright and that she would not take whatever she was doing too far.

He then continued on his way with a sigh, and after a few long minutes of navigating through the long dark corridors of the Kuno household, he found himself in the doorway to his own room, the closest place he had to a sanctuary. He flicked on the light switch and was momentarily blinded by the almost obscene artificial light.

When his sight returned, Tatewaki was confronted by dozens, perhaps hundreds, of images of two very beautiful women. Akane peeked over her shoulder on her way to school from the door of his closet; the red headed pigtailed girl was performing some sort of stretching routine on the wall across from Tatewaki's bed. The two girls had been captured in a multitude of positions and activities, from as simple as walking to school or on an errand, to as risqué as changing clothes.

As recently as the previous day, Tatewaki would have defended these pictures as proof of his undying love, as evidence of the beauty, poise, and grace of the two girls. However now Tatewaki realized what the photos really were, candied shots of two women who otherwise would have refused to pose. These were not proof of the nobleness of his love, but rather a means of objectification of the two girls.

For some reason Tatewaki felt sickened at the sight of so many photos, they were all taken unwillingly, and that unwillingness was magnified by the sheer amount of photographic evidence in his room. Each photograph was a testament that if asked beforehand, the subjects would not have agreed to be captured on film. Rather than supporting his declarations of love, they showed that Tatewaki never thought about the two girls, but only himself.

If the two girls were unwilling to pose for a photo for Tatewaki, then what did that say of their feelings for him? Each picture was a reminder not only of their unwillingness to be photographed, but their unwillingness to love Tatewaki, their unwillingness to even like him.

With a quiet sob, Tatewaki lurched across his room and in one jagged motion ripped a life sized photo of Akane working out from his bedroom wall. He methodically shredded it before throwing the confetti into a corner of his room. He then systematically began to remove and destroy the images which had cost him so many thousands upon thousands of yen. An hour later, the pile of shredded photos in the corner of his room had grown almost as tall as Tatewaki and all the walls and other flat surfaces of Tatewaki's room were once again bare.

He was panting from exertion as he regarded the very last images he had of the two loves of his life, a small pair of photos in a small hinged frame on the nightstand next to his desk. Tatewaki sat down heavily on the edge of his bed and picked up the frame. Unlike the rest of the pictures he had destroyed, he had not acquired these through Nabiki. Rather these were from the class pictures that had been taken earlier in the year for the high school yearbook. Such a small reminder of two very pretty girls, and his love for them, could not hurt. Could it?

So Tatewaki set the frame back down on his nightstand, face down, and avoiding the small piles of shredded photos which had not made it to the corner, but now dotted his carpet, turned off his light, then returned to bed. He collapsed in it and wearily covered his eyes with his hand, hoping that a dreamless sleep would come to him sooner rather than later.

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The title comes from a song of the same name by Jacques Brel. I don't own that either.


	2. Did gyre and gimble in the wabe

I do not own Ranma ½

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The red sun of dawn glaring through his bedroom windows awoke Tatewaki. He blearily regarded the unshuttered windows, and then sat up in his bed, resting his head in his hands. If he had dreamed the previous night, he didn't remember it. Nevertheless Tatewaki felt exhausted for some reason, both in mind and body. It did not help any that for some reason the room was stifling, and even clothed only in boxers provided Tatewaki with little relief.

He starred through his fingers at the mess which dominated the floor of his room for a few minutes before calling out, "Sasuke." At least he tried calling out, it actually came out more as a quiet croak. Tatewaki cleared his throat and tried to find moisture in his dry mouth before trying again. "Sasuke!" He yelled out successfully.

Almost instantly the small ninja popped out of a hidden door in the floor of Tatewaki's room.

"You called sir." Sasuke half stated, half asked.

Tatewaki regarded his servant for a moment before sitting up straight and running his hand through his hair. "Sasuke, I need you to clean up this mess in my room." He said, while gesturing to the various piles of shredded paper before continuing. "I also found out that my father is in the hospital." Tatewaki sighed, "For some reason I have been barred from not only visiting him in this time of need, but even from inquiring after the severity of his condition. While I have been informed that his injuries were minor, I wish for you to personally ascertain the reason behind my father's hospitalization, as well as the length of time he will be indisposed."

Sasuke gave Tatewaki and stern salute and a snappy "Yes sir!" before he jumped fully into Tatewaki's room. He pulled a sack from somewhere and proceeded to begin to clean the room, grabbing handfuls of shredded images and disposing of them in a blink of the eye.

Tatewaki watched him for a few seconds before deciding that it was time for him to freshen up and prepare for the school day ahead. He stood and walked across the room toward the entrance to his personal bathroom, but paused at the doorway. He turned around to once more regard his short ninja servant.

"Sasuke…"

At the mention of his name, the ninja paused to regard his master, who seemed to be feeling uncomfortable about something.

Tatewaki continued on hesitantly. "Sasuke, do you… do you like me? I mean, am I… do you think I'm a good person?"

Sasuke of course was caught flat footed by the random question, and had only begun to fully process it before Tatewaki turned back around and waved his hand dismissively over his shoulder. "Never mind," Tatewaki said, "I didn't mean to ask that. Just ignore the question." With that the young man walked away and closed the door behind him on a very confused and slightly frightened ninja.

As he turned on the harsh fluorescent lighting, Tatewaki for his part wondered why he had asked such a question. After all what did it matter if Sasuke like him? The ninja was tied to the Kuno family by an oath. Even if he hated them, he was still honor bound to serve them.

The bathroom that Tatewaki found himself in was Spartan, sterile, and in juxtaposition to his bedroom, cold. The fluorescent light bounced off the white tile of the floor, the white porcelain of the sink and other bathroom fixtures, and off the mirrored surface of the medicine cabinet.

The Kuno household had a wide variety of bathing options open to them, from traditional outdoor furos, to indoor private ones, to modern bathrooms with bathtubs the size of small swimming pools. Usually Tatewaki indulged in the more opulent baths later in the day, choosing instead to start his days off in a more authentic manner by dousing himself with pails of ice cold water. He seldom used this particular bathroom even though it was conveniently located next to his bedroom, feeling that it somehow seemed cold, austere, and distasteful.

But that day he didn't feel up to his usual toilette, Tatewaki merely wished to do whatever was necessary in order to be finished quickly. So he shed his boxer shorts and walked over to the spigot in the wall, his footsteps echoing off the polished walls. Still feeling the effects of his over warm bedroom, Tatewaki twisted the faucet so that only cold water rained down upon him.

The icy water served both to cool him down and wake him up. While the initial burst seemed far too cold to stand, his body soon acclimatized and the cold water even began to feel as if it were warming up. Tatewaki had often fantasized about, and had even indulged in on occasion, sitting at the base of a waterfall, meditating as the water pounded down on his body, driving all physical sense out of it. He enjoyed the rush and pounding of water, whether from a waterfall or showerhead, the sound drove out all other distractions, and the pounding drove out all other feelings. The rest of the world drifted away and became inconsequential leaving only the water, and eventually even that faded away and left only himself.

After a few minutes Tatewaki shook himself from the near stupor he had fallen into, and proceeded to clean himself. Mere minutes later he finished rinsing off the last of the soap suds from his body and turned off the shower, leaving deafening silence, broken only by the dripping of the showerhead, and the soft gurgling of water as it drained down the grate in the floor.

Tatewaki wiped his now water heavy hair out of his face and turned to the towel rack next to the porcelain sink. He dried himself off, and then wrapped a towel around his middle, using another to finish drying his hair. He draped the extra towel over his shoulders as he reentered his room, finding no signs of either his family's ninja, nor of the many pictures he had destroyed last night.

He walked past the now bare walls to his closet, which he opened and found hanger after hanger of traditional clothing. Tatewaki sighed to himself, for most of his life he had felt that traditional clothing was special and somewhat chic, and three years ago he had indulged himself by transitioning his repertoire from the occasional formal dress worn on special occasions, to everyday wear. However that day, he just didn't feel like wearing it for some reason. So he pushed the hangers aside, until he found perhaps the only none traditional set of clothes that he had kept after he had changed his wardrobe.

It was an old Furinkan High School uniform. During middle school, Tatewaki and Kodachi had both attended the same institution, and had been forced to wear the hideous uniform which went along with it. They had been much closer in those days, and had spent many hours deriding various things about their school, from various teachers, to other students, and especially their uniform.

So during the final weeks of his last year in middle school, Tatewaki had been surprised by Kodachi when she had laid out the Furinkan uniform for him, and modeled her own off as well. Apparently she had gone out and purchased them shortly after Tatewaki had decided on attending that particular institution after vigorous pleading from his sister who had wanted to attend the high school because of its connections to their father.

Tatewaki had been reluctant at first because of those same connections, but he had eventually bowed under his sister's pressure, and the assurance of the staff that the principal was not expected back anytime that decade. So both siblings had decided to attend Furinkan, and while Kodachi was not too enthused about the girl's uniform, at least it was better than their middle school one, and she thought her brother looked quite handsome in his.

Shortly afterwards, Tatewaki attended his first day at Furinkan, and immediately became enamored of the Kendo club. In addition, compared to middle school, the upperclassmen at Furinkan seemed so impressive, they were all intelligent, aloof, and did things like rebelled against authority and wrote poetry. From the very first, Tatewaki realized that being an underclassman was a disadvantage, but to be an underclassman with a clingy sister would be devastating. So following his very first day, Tatewaki began to spend as much time as he could training in Kendo, and what little time was left over he spent reading the great classics, Sun Tzu, Confucius, and Shakespeare to name a few. Even though they were a bit beyond his level of understanding, he was able to remember bits and pieces of their works, and rearranged them around in his head to make sense.

During that time, he had no time for Kodachi, who had at first tried to continue being the close and clingy little sister, but Tatewaki had no time for the infantile concerns of a child. When she needed help with her homework, Tatewaki brushed Kodachi off, the same was true when she just wanted to hang out, or was being bullied. Tatewaki would just tell her that she needed to grow up and take charge of her own life and rely on him less. Eventually she did. A few months after he had started high school, Tatewaki abruptly noticed that he had seen less and less of his sister, when he found the charred remains of a girls uniform for Furinkan in the backyard of the Kuno estate. Shortly after that, Kodachi had announced that she was going to attend the prestigious St. Hebereke Academy. Tatewaki had been relieved at the news, and for some reason had felt emptier. He had stopped wearing his normal uniform from that point on.

But now it seemed that was all he had left in the ways of western clothing. So with only a minimal amount of reluctance, he once again clothed himself in the uniform. It was slightly tighter than he remembered, but in a snug, comfortable way.

After adjusting his collar and making sure his hair was presentable, Tatewaki turned off his light, and left his barren room. He quickly made his way through the hallways of the Kuno mansion, which were just as dark and silent as the previous evening. However as he was passing the corridor leading to Kodachi's domain, he heard a quiet click, the sound of a key turning in a lock.

Tatewaki paused and peered into the gloom, eventually making out the form of Kodachi. She seemed frozen, staring at him as if he were a ghost, but quickly regaining her composure, she sedately walked toward Tatewaki. She stopped about ten feet away from him and the two siblings eyed each other warily, like two beasts of prey encountering one another with no real reason to fight, neither wishing to start a conflict, but ready to engage in one if the other did start it.

Tatewaki took in his sister's appearance, she was in her usual leotard, but it was wrinkled and stained. That fact combined with the deep, dark circles around her bloodshot eyes, indicated to Tatewaki that his sister had been out all night doing … whatever, and had only now returned.

Clearing his throat nervously, Tatewaki broke the silence. "Have you been informed that our father is in the hospital?" He asked.

Kodachi narrowed her eyes. "Yes, I found out yesterday, although I'm somewhat surprised that you have deigned to take an interest in our father's health, since you have without fail harped upon his deficiencies at every opportunity."

Tatewaki uncomfortably looked away from his sister's accusing gaze and replied, "He is many things, an eccentric, probably an idiot, and possibly insane." He turned to once again look at his sister. "But above all, he is my father. Of course I am concerned for him."

Kodachi returned Tatewaki's gaze with an expression which seemed to ask the question, "really?"

Tatewaki turned his face away again and continued, "For some reason he has denied me access to his sickroom. However I do not believe he has placed any such restriction upon you. If you could, please go to see him, and tell him … send him my regards." He was answered by an unladylike snort from Kodachi and the sound of her walking away. Tatewaki looked up to regard her retreating form.

"Kodachi." He called out. "I… I thought that maybe I should take a break from the Kendo team." Kodachi paused in the hallway, still turned away from Tatewaki. "Do you think that maybe, we could do something together, you know like a normal brother and sister?"

Still turned away from Tatewaki, Kodachi replied, "I'm sorry dear brother, but between gymnastics and my other extracurricular activities, I simply don't have time for you anymore." She then quickly and silently disappeared into her room, leaving Tatewaki alone once more in the corridor.

He continued to stand there for a few moments, but then he resumed his trek to the front door. There Tatewaki found his usual sandals, as well as a wide variety of spares. Tucked away in an often overlooked nook however was a pair of well worn leather shoes in need of a good polishing. Finding no other alternatives though, Tatewaki laced up the shoes and exiting the mansion, began another wonderful day in the life of Tatewaki Kuno.

On his way to school, Tatewaki marveled at the springiness found in shoes versus the usual wooden sandals he wore. He also noticed how merely changing clothes also changed how he felt. His normal clothing was long and flowing, giving him a strange sort of sense of freedom. The more western clothing he was wearing however made him feel more… professional.

His trip to Furinkan seemed to pass by quickly; he arrived at the gates to the school well before the majority of his peers. This was the usual state of affairs, but instead of waiting in the courtyard for the arrival of Akane, Tatewaki instead made his way to his classroom.

He was the first one there, and he took his customary seat. He waited a few minutes in silence, but soon other students began to drift in to the classroom, many seemingly shocked at Tatewaki's presence. The room slowly filled up, and as it did, so too did Tatewaki's nervousness, he was anticipating the arrival of one particular person, and fifteen minutes before the bell signaling the start of the school day rang, she appeared at the door to the room. Nabiki.

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Sorry this chapter is short, but I'm trying to stick to a schedule of putting out whatever I have on Wednesdays in order to avoid my previous posting schedule which was better measured in months rather than weeks.


	3. All mimsy were the borogoves

I do not own Ranma ½

* * *

Nabiki had woken up that morning as she normally did, to the sounds of domestic tranquility inside the house, and the sounds of mortal combat in the backyard. She sighed heavily in frustration, it was far too early in the morning, and her bed was too soft and warm. She was quite loathe to leave it. But time waits for no man or woman, and time was money.

So Nabiki dragged herself out of bed because the rules of society had arbitrarily chosen to start school at an ungodly hour. As she made her way to the bathroom, Nabiki engaged in one of her favorite day dreams, of a time in the not too distant future when she would be wealthy enough to sleep in for as long as she desired, and if anyone had a problem with that, well too bad.

Nabiki mechanically went through her normal morning routine, cleaning herself, dressing herself in her school uniform, gathering her homework and other school essentials, and sitting down to breakfast with the rest of the family.

It wasn't until she was picking at her light breakfast that Nabiki fully woke up. With the return of her faculties, the problem she had been struggling with the previous night returned as well. For the first time in years, Nabiki's daily profits had been down. Her revenue had fallen by roughly 20% in a single day. After only the barest brush with the issue, Nabiki had quickly arrived at the obvious answer to what was responsible for her loss, or rather whom.

The previous day, Nabiki had not sold a single rumor, picture, or piece of information to her number one client, Tatewaki. She hadn't even been able to coax any free food from the normally delusional idiot. Figuring out that he had been the reason why her profits were lower than expected was easy. What had plagued her the previous night, and continued to the next morning, was not how her profits had been lost, but why.

Why had Tatewaki changed his behavior? Every single day for the past few years Tatewaki had been her most loyal customer. For him to have abruptly stopped doing business with her for no apparent reason was strange. Nabiki didn't particularly like strangeness, it was hard to accurately forecast and she already had enough chaos in her life without it affecting her profit margin.

She had wracked her brain in an attempt to find an explanation for Tatewaki's actions, or rather lack of actions, but had failed to think of a single rumor or physical action to account for them. There was the matter of his father being rushed to the hospital, but judging from the animosity Tatewaki had demonstrated for his father previously, Nabiki didn't think it likely that was the cause for Tatewaki's strange change. So far her favorite theory was that the blow Ranma had dealt Tatewaki that morning had addled the boy's already disturbed mind.

After all, he had begun to act strangely once he regained consciousness. Nabiki blushed momentarily when she recalled the enthusiastic embrace Tatewaki had given her immediately after he had woken up. But she quickly dismissed it from her mind, since Tatewaki had likely been dreaming of her sister or Ranma and had confused them with her.

After that event in the nurse's office however, Tatewaki had seemed to be even more strange than usual. First actively seeking out his father voluntarily, and then returning to class in a dazed state of mind. She had checked with several sources after school and had found out that throughout the entire day Tatewaki had not communicated with another student. He had silently sat through class, then equally as silently, he had left school; going in the opposite direction of his estate. He had even failed to put in a cursory appearance at the Kendo club, something he usually accomplished no matter how injured and otherwise occupied he was.

Nabiki had not been able to reach any definite conclusions and was still pondering Tatewaki's actions, when she glanced at the clock on the wall which indicated that it was slightly past the time she normally left for school. She gave a perfunctory thanks to Kasumi for breakfast, then without a word to the rest of the family, gathered her school bag and made her way out the door.

Her trip to school was in every way normal. She met her friends/associates at their usual location. They talked about the usual subjects of clothes, boys, and the proper amortization rate for short term loans. They paused briefly at the local drug store where she picked up the developed pictures she had dropped off the previous afternoon; sadly one of the few fixed costs her operation suffered from. Then, as normal, they arrived at school after the majority of the students who came to actually learn, but before the rush of students who were merely counting the days until graduation.

Nabiki and her friends separated after the shoe lockers, not only did they attend separate classes, but by dividing forces, they would be able to cover more ground to settle various business deals such as the small time loan sharking, the various betting pools, and the selling of various items, the bulk of which was photographs.

Leaving such menial tasks to her friends, Nabiki made her way to her class, intent on getting set up and ready for when Tatewaki appeared. Depending upon the situation, she was ready to either resume business as usual, or to demand answers to why he suddenly had changed.

Opening the door to the classroom however, Nabiki was confronted by a possibility she had never considered. Tatewaki was already in his seat, seemingly waiting for class to start in a somewhat bored manner, wearing the school's uniform.

When she entered the room, Tatewaki turned and their eyes met. Nabiki's steps faltered for a moment. His eyes were neither fever bright, as they were whenever he wanted something from her, nor cold and distant, as they were when he wanted nothing to do wither her. Instead they were cool and appraising, somehow appearing more sane than usual.

Nabiki quickly began to walk forward again, ignoring the fact that Tatewaki had thrown off her normal morning routine. She quickly made it to her desk, and for the next few minutes staunchly ignored the boy while she emptied her school bag and made a show of arranging her belongings to her liking.

It was only after she had firmly established her aloofness that Nabiki discretely turned back to regard Tatewaki. She found him staring back at her, with a strangely muted questioning gaze. It was as if he was unsure if he wanted something from her, but thought it likely.

Their eyes held each other for a few moments, then abruptly Tatewaki tore his gaze away to regard one of the bulletin boards hung on the wall of the classroom. This left Nabiki regarding Tatewaki in profile.

It was a sight that Nabiki hadn't seen since freshman year, Tatewaki silently sitting at his desk, wearing western clothes and without his idiotic expression betraying his attempt at plotting. He could even pass for a normal student, a handsome one at that; until he opened his mouth and revealed his true nature at least.

Nabiki had regained her composure, and decided that it was time to find out why Tatewaki was acting so strangely. So smiling coyly, she leaned over in Tatewaki's direction and said, "So Kuno-baby, I have a nice new batch of photos, some of my finest work yet, if I do say so myself." She leaned in even closer and lowered her voice. "I even have a few of the more risqué variety."

Tatewaki regarded her with a slightly conflicted expression as he replied, "I'm afraid that I've come to the realization that my fixation upon your wares is as unproductive as it is probably unhealthy. With that in mind, I have come to the decision that I will no longer be a customer of yours."

Nabiki reeled back in surprise and took a moment to marshal her thoughts. Then with a disingenuous smile Nabiki responded, "That seems to be a drastic decision on your part, can I ask you why?"

Tatewaki turned away from Nabiki, and absently fixed his gaze on a cluster of students at the front of the room. The classroom was roughly halfway full, but there was an invisible buffer zone around the area Tatewaki and Nabiki were sitting in, created by the other student's desire to avoid either Tatewaki's insanity or Nabiki's ruthlessness. Due to this expanse of empty desks, Tatewaki and Nabiki had no fear of being eavesdropped upon.

He haltingly began to speak. "I've been ruminating of late upon both my actions, as well as my reasons for those actions. And I have found that both my actions and their reasons have been questionable to say the least. I've acted dishonorably, and duplicitously. My only consolation is that perhaps it is not too late for me to change, for me to become something better than what I have been."

Nabiki was shocked at the drastic change which had come over Tatewaki, aside from his penchant to transform simple sentences into Shakespearian monologues; he seemed to be thinking about his actions logically, in an almost sane manner.

"So you've come to the realization that polygamy is illegal to say the least." She said, still somewhat stunned, merely trying to continue the conversation. She had long ago learned that when off balance, it was not only best to appear not to be, but to try and force the other party into a similar state.

Tatewaki turned back to Nabiki and smiled a tired and sad smile. "Something of that nature," he said, "although that is not the full extent of my revelations." His eyes once more left Nabiki's, and he seemed to be staring at something in the distance but without seeing it. He continued, "In regard to my love life, it being what it is, I find myself in the position, not so much of having to decide between my love for your sister or my love for the pig tailed girl, but rather if I truly feel love for either of them.

"I must face the fact that I belong to the more bestial half of humanity, that of the male sex. As such, I fear that I might have let my baser lusts confuse me. After all both your sister and the pig tailed girl are alluring in their own ways. It is likely that in my recent state of mind I confused my physical attraction for them with the more noble sentiment of love.

"Even then I encounter difficulty, for what is love? I don't think I know. I do know that without love, life is … painful, cold, and lonely. Maybe in my rush to alleviate my suffering I latched onto the attractions I felt out of desperation. Such a basis for a relationship can only lead to ruin, and indeed in ruin is how I feel my current life is in. Tell me truthfully, does either Akane or the pig tailed girl regard me with any soft feelings at all? Don't bother answering; I know the impact of my actions. So now I need to determine if I love either of them enough to try and rebuild our relation to the point where I could woo them, or if it would be better to turn my attention to another. "

Nabiki interrupted him, shocked at the amount of introspection Tatewaki was exhibiting. "You mean that because it would be too hard to get a date with Akane or the pig tailed girl, that you're just going to throw in the hat and find someone easier?"

Tatewaki quickly and sternly captured Nabiki's eyes. He looked fiercely determined when he responded, "That is not my intent at all. I just think that perhaps the relationships I have had in the past, if you could call them that, were not based upon true love. Because of this, perhaps there's someone else out there, someone with whom I could fall in love with, and they I."

Nabiki's world view was in danger of falling around her in ruins. Obviously the real Tatewaki had been taken by aliens. They had replaced him with a boy who looked like Tatewaki, talked like Tatewaki, but was seemingly intelligent without the drawback of being eccentrically insane. She was saved from having to respond by the arrival of the first teacher of the day.

The classroom had filled while the two had been talking, and now the start of the school day was upon them. Some of the students had been disappointed by the lack of early morning entertainment in the form of a display of martial prowess, or at least disparity between Ranma and Tatewaki, but this disappointment was soon lost under the monotonous weight of the education system.

As the morning waned on through lecture after mind numbing lecture, Nabiki surreptitiously stole several glances at Kuno. She was shocked; Tatewaki seemed to have experienced an epiphany so groundbreaking that his entire world view had shifted. Unless he just as quickly changed back, her best customer had just vanished overnight.

Nabiki was nothing if not a businesswoman, and one of the first lessons in business is that every change, every new situation, brought with it new opportunities for profit. It was merely a matter of being intelligent enough to spot the changes and opportunities presented, and then create a new venture to meet the new needs of the environment.

The first thing she needed to do was to figure out what had had changed in her environment. So far it appeared the only new variable was Tatewaki, but his change was drastic enough to potentially cause a ripple effect which needed to be taken into account. It seemed that Tatewaki was no longer interested in purchasing pictures, or chasing Akane, or possibly even continuing his rivalry with Ranma.

Instead, Tatewaki seemed to be more inwardly focused, and not even in a narcissistic manner. No, he seemed to actually be trying to delve into his own psyche, trying to fully understand who he was. A week earlier, Nabiki would have thought that particular journey would have lasted all of about five minutes and the width and depth of Tatewaki's inner workings would have been fully understood. But seeing the new Tatewaki made her reconsider her opinion of him.

It was as if he had discovered religion or something. Which was not really good news; for the most part people who either became this introspective, or who were serious about religion, were not known for spending extravagantly.

Certainly it would be possible to continue operating with only 80% of the market open to her, but Nabiki felt that the loss of customers was an admission of failure. The loss of a customer as important of Tatewaki, well that was just a personal affront.

Nabiki continued to muse on the problem Tatewaki had presented her with as the morning ended and the lunch period began. At the sound of the lunch bell, Tatewaki dropped his tired and disinterested visage he had worn all morning, and was off like a shot.

Nabiki considered following after him, to try and glean some more information as well as a way to make money from him. However she was quickly waylaid by potential customers who wished to ascertain the validity of some rumors which were floating around; the same rumors likely planted by Nabiki's associates earlier in the morning. Although there were a few people who were observant enough to comment and question Nabiki on Tatewaki's unusual behavior. He had gone the entire morning without bursting into spontaneous vengeful monologue, which struck some of the students as strange.

Although she only knew a small portion of the story, Nabiki remained sphinx-like and collected their money. She gave them general and vague answers which confirmed whatever it was they suspected, without actually answering their questions. Her reputation as the most informed person at the school was enough to blind the other students to the fact that she didn't really know anything.

As she concluded the last of her business and was preparing to unwrap her lunch, she glanced out the window and noticed Tatewaki off by himself in the schoolyard, apparently talking to a tree. Nabiki stared for a moment, then the leaves of the tree rustled and a small branch fell to the ground. A branch with arms and legs. Nabiki smiled to herself, Sasuke might be a master of camouflage, but of stealth? Not so much.

Nabiki began to pick at her lunch. She appreciated the wonderful flavors which were the hallmark of a Kasumi meal, but was worried about breaking the new diet she had just started the previous week. The cakes, parfaits, and other sweets which Nabiki enjoyed so much, sadly came at a price. Just in the past month alone she had gained an entire kilogram. She sighed; it was just so difficult to be both beautiful and smart.

She looked back out the window to find Sasuke nowhere in sight, and Tatewaki walking back towards the school with a thoughtfully depressed face. Then she saw Ranma, who for some reason or another was racing across the schoolyard looking behind him, paying no attention to what or who was in front of him.

Ranma crashed into Tatewaki, sending both boys to the ground. Ranma immediately sprang up, and then seeing who he had run into, prepared himself for the conflict which was sure to follow. Tatewaki however climbed to his feet much more slowly, with seemingly no ill intentions regarding Ranma.

Tatewaki seemed undecided for a moment, and then cast a glance around the semi-populated area they were standing in, taking in the crowd of students around them, who seemed to be expecting the two to erupt into violence at any moment. Instead Tatewaki leaned in towards Ranma and said something. Ranma seemed stunned and it was several seconds before he replied. Tatewaki then said something in return and indicated the roof of Furinkan High with another glance at the other students peopling the yard. Ranma seemed to agree, then he turned and spied the rapidly approaching form of Akane and bounded off. Tatewaki watched first Ranma leave, and then Akane run by him without so much as a nod of acknowledgement, before trudging solemnly back into the school.

Nabiki raised her eyebrow at the new development. Ranma and Tatewaki speaking civilly, without either's pride or stupidity resulting in an altercation? Tatewaki not gushing over her younger sister? Surly the apocalypse was soon approaching. But there didn't seem to be any atmospheric anomaly marking the event, such as pigs flying, at least so far as Nabiki could tell.

A few minutes later Tatewaki reentered the classroom, even more morose than he had left it, he returned to his seat without a further word to anyone. Nabiki was tempted to strike up a conversation in order to find out what exactly had caused his worsening of mood, but was thwarted when the bell signaling the end of the lunch period rang a few moments later.

The rest of the school day passed as uneventfully as the first half. However, while Tatewaki had opened his books and seemed to be following along with the lessons in the morning, that afternoon he took no notes, opened no books, and seemed to be unfocusedly staring at some point to the left of the blackboard. If it had been any other student, the teachers would have immediately pounced on them for their inattention. But Tatewaki as a special case, he did well on his tests and other assignments with little to no visible effort, and often when he was called upon, he would began spouting nonsensical drivel which had nothing to do with the lesson being taught. So, as long as Tatewaki remained silent, the teachers could care less what he was doing.

Nabiki meanwhile took notes in her clean and clear script, answered questions when asked, and was an all around model student. Throughout the afternoon though, the back of her mind was occupied with the Tatewaki situation. Obviously he had set up an appointment with Ranma, Nabiki hoped, for her schedule's sake that it was right after school, so she would be able to eavesdrop and hopefully glean some new insight.

The afternoon, like all things, eventually ended. There was an anarchic rush to the door as the students not in a club used the last bell of the day as the signal to start the race back home. Neither Tatewaki nor Nabiki was in this initial rush usually, and today was no exception. Nabiki began to transact some minor business deals with people who should have known better, while keeping an eye on Tatewaki.

The boy in question waited a few minutes for the noise of the crowd in the outer hall to dissipate before he stood from his desk. As usual he didn't bother to collect his school books or his bag, but instead just pushed in his chair and made his way out the door.

Nabiki waited a few moments, or in her mind, several long minutes before hastily and almost rudely interrupting the people clustered around her desk, telling them she had a sudden and pressing engagement. She rapidly and haphazardly threw her schoolwork into her bag, not bothering to see if it was the correct pages or not. She then rushed out of the classroom just in time to see the sedately retreating back of Tatewaki as he turned the corner from the hallway into the stairway.

Trying to act both normal and stealthy, Nabiki made her own way down the hall, ignoring the questioning looks she received as she stopped at the corner and covertly looked around it. Tatewaki was nowhere in sight, but having been witness to the exchange at lunch, Nabiki was willing to bet that he had gone up the stairs rather than down. He seemed to have indicated the roof to Ranma, and this was the only stairwell which had roof access.

Nabiki slowly made her way up the stairs, not wishing to be caught and questioned by Tatewaki. She quickly came to the metal door leading to the roof of the school. In most schools the door to the roof was kept locked so that students didn't decide to do something rash after receiving a poor grade, something which the school might be liable for. Furinkan nominally followed this guideline, but some enterprising student had unlocked the door with their foot years previously, leaving the door warped and ill fitting in its frame. Nabiki hoped that the resulting hole would be large enough for her to eavesdrop without anyone detecting her presence. She settled herself against the wall next to the broken door, the conversation outside seemingly already having started.

"… a trap Ranma. I'm not here to fight you, just to talk." Said Tatewaki.

"Talk? What do we have to talk about Kuno? I've told you time and again that I'm not an evil wizard or whatever and Akane and the pig tailed girl aren't under my spell. What else is there to talk about besides the fact that you're delusional?"

Tatewaki sighed and Nabiki could hear his footsteps fade as they moved towards the perimeter of the roof. "That is just it," Tatewaki replied, "I've come to the conclusion that perhaps my view was clouded by my desires in the past."

Ranma snorted, but otherwise didn't interrupt.

"Our first meeting was not under the most optimal conditions to endear us to each other."

"Huh? " Ranma interjected.

Tatewaki sighed again before retrying. "What I mean to say, is that I think we got off to a bad start. And I think that the majority of the blame for that rests with me."

Ranma broke in once more, "Yeah, you were acting like a real jerk. A delusional, self centered jerk really."

Nabiki could almost hear Tatewaki's teeth grind together as he replied, "Listen you, I'm trying to say …"

"I've been listening, and so far all I've gotten is that when we met you were a jerk, since then you've been a jerk, and now …"

Tatewaki interrupted, almost on the point of shouting, "What I'm trying to say is that I was an idiot in the past, and I don't want to be an idiot in the future!" Tatewaki quickly continued, but in a quieter voice, "When we first met I behaved poorly, I was trying to act noble and chivalrous, but somehow twisted those sentiments into a mockery of what they actually were. I demonized you because … because you were the first person to ever have defeated me. I thought that somehow you had cheated, despite all evidence to the contrary; I felt in my heart that I could never be beaten.

"In spite of your continued idiocy and provocation, I feel that I have unfairly considered you my adversary. I know that you are the betrothed of Akane Tendo, and I know that you have some sort of relationship with the pig tailed girl. However I will no longer hold these relationships unfavorably against you. So long, of course, as they are honorable."

Nabiki heard Tatewaki's steps grow louder as he approached the doorway again, she was nearly ready to bolt before they stopped a few feet away. "Ranma, I don't want you to be an enemy. I have found that I have enough both internally and externally without artificially creating anymore. I know that it is too sudden, and too far of a stretch for us to become the best of friends. You no doubt think this is some sort of scheme. But I tell you it is not. I would just like to have one person on this planet who does not hate me."

Ranma's tone was much less antagonistic when he replied, "Kuno, in your own right you are a pretty good fighter. And I know how it feels to have more enemies than friends. I'd like it if you really mean what you say about us not being enemies anymore. But I thought that you hated me because of Akane."

Tatewaki was silent for a few moments. "I did hate you," he said, "because you suddenly appeared and seemingly had what I thought I wanted. However I've come to the realization that perhaps I was wrong or misguided in what I thought it was I wanted. Maybe I don't love Akane Tendo or the pig tailed girl, or maybe I love them. I don't know right now. But when I do know, when I know for sure who it is I love and why, I think I will move heaven and Earth in order to be with them."

"Well that's all well and good," Ranma responded, "but I'm pretty sure that you might as well just rule out the pig tailed girl."

"Why should I do that?"

Ranma's nervousness was apparent as he stammered, "Well … uh …"

Nabiki decided to take the opportunity and leave. She had gotten what she had come for, and it would not do to be found out eavesdropping. She was supposed to be an all knowing person, not one who would stoop to such measures.

She quickly made her way down the stairs, finding only a few scattered students still in the hallways and not either on their way home or sequestered in a club room. She changed her shoes at the shoe lockers, and then made her way out of school.

She pondered to herself about the Tatewaki issue; it seemed that his primary concern was whether or not he was truly in love with either Akane or the pig tailed girl. The inkling of an idea which could become the basis of a plan began to grow in Nabiki's mind.

* * *

* * *

It's difficult to write dialogue for three different personalities. On another note, I just rewatched Michael Radford's interpretation of Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice" and I must say that Al Pacino was the best Shylock I've ever seen. Jeremy Irons is no slouch as Antonio either.


	4. And the mome raths outgrabe

I do not own Ranma ½

* * *

Tatewaki was musing as he slowly made his way through the school. He had just had a rather strange conversation with Ranma and it coupled with the recent revelations he had undergone weighed upon his mind. As of late, Tatewaki had been reevaluating his relationships, as well as the way he treated various people, attempting to separate the emotions based in reality from the ones which were products of the fantasy he had been living in.

Tatewaki had taken an instant dislike toward Ranma due to the fact that it appeared as if the boy had usurped any chance Tatewaki had with Akane by not only being engaged to her, but by living in the same house as her.

The antagonism Tatewaki had felt towards Ranma had only increased with the revelation he shared a deep relationship with the pig tailed girl as well. It did not help matters any that Ranma had been able to defeat Tatewaki in an ever more casual manner.

The physical loses were perhaps even more difficult for Tatewaki than the emotional. All his life he had striven hard, practiced religiously, had lost himself in the mastery of his art. He had become arguably the best kendoist of his generation; a generation ever more focused on modern trappings and less on the traditions of their ancestors.

Tatewaki had felt invincible, he had never lost a match, even against opponents much older and more experienced than himself. Then without warning, Tatewaki had met Ranma and he had lost. To be sure their first contest was a close match, but ever since then it had become apparent that the gap between his skill level and Ranma's had widened considerably.

Despite his best efforts to train and refine his swordsmanship, Ranma had proved to be on a completely different level than Tatewaki time and again. To be so casually defeated after training so hard and pouring himself into his art, after endless hours of practice and exertion; it was hateful to Tatewaki.

He had blamed his loses on chance, circumstances beyond his control, even blaming Ranma for cheating through the use of sorcery. But now that Tatewaki was reevaluating his outlook on life, he could admit that the reason that Ranma consistently defeated him was that the younger boy was better versed and more dedicated to his art than Tatewaki was to his own. It was a distasteful conclusion, but one which was dictated by logic.

Perhaps Tatewaki still resented the situation unconsciously, but he was attempting to curb his conscious ire. After all, to hate someone merely because they were a stronger fighter was petty and unbecoming.

His other reasons for despising Ranma had been cast into a new light as well by Tatewaki's recent revelations. He was unsure of his feelings toward either Akane or the pig tailed girl, so what right did he have to dictate whom they associated with?

With these thoughts in mind, Tatewaki had come to the conclusion that perhaps he had unjustly demonized Ranma, and had said as much to Ranma during their conversation. Ranma had seemed willing to let bygones be bygones and to attempt a friendship with Tatewaki.

Strangely though, during their conversation, the pig tailed girl had come up and Ranma had seemed adamant that she had no interest in pursuing a relationship with Tatewaki. He had seemed reluctant to go into details of his belief however, and soon after the topic had been broached, had hurriedly left. Perhaps the pig tailed girl was a lesbian?

Tatewaki left that line of thought alone as he became aware of where his feet had taken him during his ruminations.

He leaned against the door frame to one of the several small buildings clustered around Furinkan High like offshoots of a mother bamboo plant. He silently watched as paired boys dressed in armor struck at each other with wooden swords.

None of the kendo club noticed Tatewaki's presence, each occupied with his opponent. Some were silent, some exclaiming with every thrust, some advancing, others retreating, all of them flawed in their technique.

Takashi's foot placement was wrong, it allowed his to defend adequately, but robbed his attacks of power. Yoshida's grip was incorrect, causing him to hold his bokken rigidly, far from flexible enough to defend properly. Nakamura was over extending, leaving gaping openings for his opponent to take advantage of. Fukazawa … well perhaps Fukazawa should have taken up baseball rather than kendo.

Yet this was the best team in Tokyo, perhaps even all of Japan. Had Tatewaki carried the team to victory time and again all by himself? He smiled to himself; no, he wasn't egotistical enough to claim credit for their victories, at least not any longer.

The reason Furinkan High's kendo team was so successful was because they were truly the best. The mistakes which seemed so glaring to Tatewaki were invisible to most people, perhaps even his teammates as well.

His team practiced for three hours every weekday, as well as every other weekend. Tatewaki drilled into them proper technique, he pushed them physically and mentally, he trained them mercilessly. They won because they practiced longer and harder than any other kendo team in Tokyo.

But after practice was over, they left kendo behind. They went back to being normal boys, occupied with playing video games, going on dates, or studying for the next round of tests.

In contrast, Tatewaki couldn't. He could not simply drop kendo and not think of it until the next day. For years kendo had been the center of his thoughts, his passions, of his life. He had poured all his time into the pursuit of kendo, had forced his life to religiously follow the way of the sword. It had been only recently that he had replaced his obsession with kendo with one just as unhealthy which went by the name of Akane.

And for what? He was a master of the sword to be sure, he was unparalleled in the kendo world, but was he any happier than the less than perfect kendoists before him? Was his future any brighter? Was his life any better? No.

Not to say that kendo or the Bushido it inspired were useless. They taught discipline, self reliance, and respect, as well as a whole host of other admirable traits. But as the Oracle of Delphi had instructed, "know thyself" and "nothing in excess."

Tatewaki was only just coming to terms with himself and who he was, and he was finding that he took almost everything, including kendo, to excess. He resolved that it was time for a change. There would be a time for kendo and a time for Tatewaki. No longer would they be one and the same.

Having come to such a momentous decision, Tatewaki strode into the practice hall and picked up a spare bokken.

"Fukazawa!" he yelled out, causing all activity in the room to cease. "Stop swinging that bokken around like a club, and pretend you're at least trying to be a kendoist."

Tatewaki strode over to Fukazawa and shooed his opponent away. He took the starting stance, not bothered by his lack of protective armor since it would be nigh on impossible for Fukazawa to get a hit past Tatewaki's defense.

Tatewaki paused, noticing that the rest of the room was still silent, the matches paused while the participants eagerly watched Tatewaki, waiting for his next move. He glanced around at all the people simply standing around and announced, "You all aren't going to become any more skilled merely by standing about like a bunch of fools. Anyone who does not win a match in the next ten minutes gets to join me on a five kilometer run."

As his teammates scrambled to find partners and return to their matches, Tatewaki turned back to Fukazawa. "The same goes for you Fukazawa. Now show me why I should allow you to represent us in the next competition."

Fukazawa visibly gulped before taking his position opposite from Tatewaki. He mirrored the ready stance and without warning Tatewaki started the match. The exchange of blows was fast and noisy, but the outcome was never in doubt. Tatewaki respected his teammates enough not to toy with them, and his dedication spurred them on to attempt to try their best against him.

After the brief match Tatewaki gave Fukazawa several pointers on how to improve his swordsmanship while they waited for the rest of the matches to finish. He then stripped off his uniform jacket and undershirt in preparation for the physical activity ahead, and led the losers of the matches in the promised five kilometer run, generously allowing them to run without being encumbered with kendo armor.

Upon their return he led his teammates through several standard exercises, the movements ones which they had practiced hundreds of times before, and would repeat hundreds of times after.

The practice lasted for another two hours, during which Tatewaki lost himself in the physical activity. He focused exclusively on every movement, every exercise, driving out the doubts and other thoughts which had plagued him through the well known and well understood world of kendo.

He wished the practice would last longer so that he could remain in a familiar mental state for a while longer, but all things come to an end and sooner than he would have liked, Tatewaki found himself alone in the kendo hall, returning the last of the used equipment to its proper place.

Darkness was only minutes away as he closed and locked the door to the building devoted to the kendo team. With a resolute sigh Tatewaki turned his steps toward the Kuno estate, quietly dreading his return to such a home.

He had put back on his undershirt and uniform jacket, but had not tucked in the shirt or buttoned up the jacket. These coupled with his hair weighted down and disheveled from the strenuous physical activities he had just undergone, combined to give him an air of delinquency as he made his way home from school.

Tatewaki was in no hurry to return to the empty mansion he called home, so he slowly strolled down various streets in a generally homeward direction. Cars with dark windows and bright headlights passed him in the street. As he got further from school more people, mostly couples, joined him on the sidewalk.

As the crowd thickened, the lights advertising different businesses became brighter and more closely clustered together. Tatewaki noted that he was passing through a section of town dominated by theaters, arcades, and restaurants targeted towards young love.

He was passing by a small cafe which was separated into both indoor and outdoor portions, when he was struck by an impulse. Perhaps it would be more enjoyable spending time enjoying the ambiance of the neighborhood then returning home immediately.

So he found an unoccupied table in the outdoor section of the pleasant looking cafe and took possession of it.

He signaled toward a nearby waitress who nodded her head slightly, acknowledging Tatewaki's existence and that she would be over to take his order as soon as circumstances permitted. Tatewaki settled into his seat, the metal chair slightly chilled from the night air, quickly warming from his body heat. He leaned back into it, enjoying the slight bite of the cold metal as he regarded the scenery before him.

The street was brightly lit by neon store signs proclaiming the store names and their wares. They bordered on being garish and drowned out the white light of the street lights which had faded into the general ambiance of the street.

The night was young and so were the majority of the people bustling about. There seemed to be a momentary surging of people, the streets becoming somewhat more crowded than they had been a minute ago. Tatewaki attributed it to the movie which he spied on the marquee of a nearby theater which informed him that the start time was in ten short minutes.

"Excuse me sir." Said a voice beside Tatewaki. He turned to find the waitress he had signaled earlier proffering him a small paper menu. She was young, perhaps Tatewaki's age, perhaps slightly younger. She was very pretty, and had her hair up, matching the Chinese cut of her uniform, giving her a slightly exotic air.

"Ah, thank you." Tatewaki said as he took the menu from her and spent a moment glancing at the list of items. It offered what any decent cafe offered, various sweets in dainty portions, a wide variety of coffee related beverages, and a wide selection of different teas.

Tatewaki wasn't particularly hungry or thirsty, so he had no real craving for anything in particular on the menu.

He looked back up at the waitress and smiled as he said, "All of this looks just so appetizing. I'm afraid that I can't possibly choose, and I've been taught that whenever that happens, it is best to defer judgment to an expert on the matter. Therefore, you being an obvious expert in this field, what would you recommend to accentuate this evening?"

The waitress paused to ponder the issue for a moment before responding, "Well, most people order coffee this early at night. You know, so they have that little boost of caffeine to stay alert for the rest of the night."

Tatewaki's smile fell slightly as he replied, "I'm afraid that I have little reason for prolonging this evening, and perhaps would in fact be better served by a swift conclusion. No, I'm afraid that caffeine and I shall remain strangers this night." He lapsed into silence for a moment before continuing, "Tell me, what would be your suggestion for a tea suitable for a slightly chilly autumn evening such as this?"

The waitress once again thought for a moment before hesitantly replying, "Well, my grandmother always said that the best tea in the fall was Oolong. Something about it complementing the natural rhythm of the seasons or something."

Tatewaki smiled full force once again before handing the menu back to the waitress and saying, "Well then, if that is what your grandmother recommends, then that is what I shall have. A pot of your finest Oolong if you please. An order of the assorted wagashi as well, in case I become hungry."

The waitress scribbled on a small pad for a moment, then with a small bow towards Tatewaki, left him to his thoughts.

Tatewaki once more turned to regard the bustling street. Teenagers were packing the many arcades, spilling out of the doors onto the sidewalk. The restaurants and karaoke bars were busy, but undoubtedly would become infinitely more busy once the soon to be showing movies were over.

Everywhere there was happiness. From the excited murmuring, overlapped by the high pitched electronic beeps from the arcade, to the bursts of laughter from the clumps of friends sitting at tables further down the sidewalk, tot he contented smiles of couples as they gazed into each other's eyes.

The mood was infectious and Tatewaki found himself lightly smiling in response, when the waitress reappeared at his elbow. She gracefully set down a small teapot, insulated from the night air, and then a plate of several wagashi of several different colors, shapes, and sizes. She then placed a western style teacup and saucer in front of him before asking, "Would you like anything else?"

Tatewaki surveyed the table and could find no fault. "No, I think that is all for the moment. Thank you."

The waitress once more bowed politely, then turned to tend to other customers. Tatewaki turned his cup right side up and poured himself some of the steaming tea. He waited a minute to allow the tea to cool, then took an experimental sip. It was slightly sweet and flowery, a little earthy, and while it wasn't too strong, neither was it too light. It was perfection for an autumn evening. Grandmother definitely knew what she had been talking about.

He picked up and bit into one of the wagashi, which caused his mouth to be assaulted by the taste of apricots. He mellowed the flavor by taking another sip of Oolong, and relaxed, fully prepared to enjoy his respite.

Just as he was relaxing however, he became aware of a discordant note in the sounds of the evening.

"No good … pervert … Delinquent!"

The voice, which had started out some distance from Tatewaki, had exclaimed the final word quite close to his table. Tatewaki looked over to locate the cause of the disturbance and found a scowling older woman. A beauty with long dark brown hair, and a short black dress.

The woman turned her head and their eyes met. A flash of recognition crossed her face and she quickly made her way over to Tatewaki. As she stopped in front of him, Tatewaki finally placed her. She was a teacher at Furinkan, Miss Ninomiya if he wasn't mistaken.

She loomed over him and asked, "Are you from Furinkan High School?"

Tatewaki glanced down at his uniform, then back up. "Yes, I do attend Furinkan High." He replied.

Hinako placed her hands on her hips and leaned forward. "And what are you doing out here? Being a delinquent?"

Tatewaki regarded her somewhat in disbelief, but soon saw that the woman was in earnest. "Miss Ninomiya, as I'm sure that you're aware, at the moment school is not in session, and the restrictions placed by it regarding both my person and time have been lifted."

Hinako looked around and seemed to realize that it was dark out, well past school hours. She seemed to deflate slightly as she apologetically said, "I'm sorry, it's just that I've been having a bad night, and I saw your uniform and things just kind of …"

Tatewaki waved his hand dismissively and interrupted, "Think no more of it, I am an expert both in bad nights as well as jumping to conclusions."

Hinako sighed heavily and seemed to become even more dejected, an air of resignation settling upon her. It was the physical manifestation of a feeling Tatewaki knew all too well. A feeling of being alone, with nothing ahead but a long journey to a place where the was no life, no warmth, no happiness. Merely a place to sleep, to survive, until the next day.

As the older woman turned to leave, Tatewaki found himself involuntarily calling out, "Wait!"

Hinako paused and turned back towards Tatewaki questioningly. He felt slightly embarrassed as he continued, "It's just that I felt perhaps you were a kindred spirit. I too have been having a difficult time, and personally speaking, am in no great hurry to return home at present. I'd much rather sit here and bask in the joy and happiness I see in others, then sit alone in the darkness of my house, contemplating my misery. Forgive me if I've misjudged you, and unfairly projected my own feelings upon you, but I would appreciate the company."

She seemed to consider his offer, but appeared doubtful. Tatewaki regarded her earnestly and gestured toward the chair across the table from him. "Please?"

Hinako seemed to come to a decision and huffed into the proffered seat. "Alright," she said, "but this is just because I don't have anything better to do, and you seem rather pitiful sitting here by yourself."

Tatewaki signaled the waitress once more. She came over immediately, eying Hinako warily as she asked, "Yes sir, is there anything else you would like?"

"Hot chocolate please." Hinako said, "and make sure it has lots of marshmallows. I like it really sweet."

The waitress seemed to silently question Hinako's sanity, but quickly whisked away with the order.

The next few minutes passed in awkward silence as Tatewaki sipped at his tea and attempted to look anywhere but at his companion. The mood was broken when the waitress returned and set a think ceramic mug down in front of Hinako. Any steam from the beverage was blocked by a small mountain of miniature marshmallows, but Hinako seemed to enjoy it.

Wishing to avoid another awkward silence Tatewaki asked, "So, you mentioned that you were having an unpleasant evening. Would it be presumptuous of me to ask why you feel your evening turned out badly?"

Hinako humphed and angrily popped one of the wagashi into her mouth before responding. "I had a date tonight, but he turned out to be the same as almost every other man I've gone out with. Sure it started out alright, flowers and a romantic dinner. But then he started asking about when I was going to turn back into my other form. It turns out he was a pervert and a pedophile."

She angrily ate more wagashi and chased them with hot chocolate, unmindful of how hot it was while continuing. "I mean what is wrong with society these days? Here I am, an attractive young woman with a stable job, and the only men I meet are scumbag perverts who ignore the fact that I am a woman and instead focus on my other form." She crossed her arms and scowled, reminiscing on the despicableness of the male gender.

Tatewaki casually refilled his cup before responding, "That does seem to be an insufferable position to be placed in, as well as grounds to declare tonight as being a bad night. I'm afraid that I can only offer the empty platitude that there are other men out there, and one day, if you continue to try, you will find the person right for you."

Hinako snorted in scorn, then sighed a few moments later. "I just want to fund a guy, a nice guy, someone who likes me because of who I am, and not for the fact that I spend half my time as a preteen."

Tatewaki blew the steam from his cup and took a sip before commenting, "The same could be said of everyone. We are all searching for that special person, the one who makes us complete. The one who loves us not for what we can do or provide for them, but simply loves us because they love us."

They both lapsed into silence as they mused over the depths of their drinks and their thoughts.

"So," Hinako said, "What's the reason you're sitting here alone on a Friday night?"

Tatewaki glanced across the table and replied, "I'm here because, as I've informed you, I really have no impetuous to return home at this time. As to why I'm alone, well that's more complicated." He sighed. "Until recently, I was attracted to two different girls. But I suddenly realized that while I am attracted to them, I'm not entirely sure I love them. I've been struggling with myself to figure out what exactly I feel for each of them. Indeed, I've been questioning what exactly love is and whether I've felt it for anyone. I just don't think it is fair to either of them if I try to pursue a relationship without first being sure of my own feelings in the matter."

Hinako chuckled slightly. "I think that you are missing the point and making this much more complicated than it has to be." Tatewaki looked at her in confusion as she continued, "You don't walk into a relationship knowing with absolute certainty that you love the other person. You become attracted to someone, you find something about them you like. Whether it's their appearance, their personality, their mind, whatever. You find something about them you like, then you go out and spend time with them, you get into a relationship with them. You find out more about them, and either you like what you find or you don't. Love isn't some emotion set in stone, unchanging and immaculate in its conception. You have to work from attraction, to liking, to love. Love is being able to wake up next to someone fifty years from now and still have the same respect, the same attraction for them as you do now."

Tatewaki looked down and contemplated his hands for a moment before looking back up and asking, "You seem to be an expert on the subject. Have you ever been in love?"

Hinako looked away at the couples clustered around the entrance to the nearby movie theater as she replied. "Once, I think I could have been." She looked back at Tatewaki. "But that's the thing about love, you have to work for it. Like you said earlier, you have to keep trying until you find it, and once you do, don't ever let anything happen to that love."

She looked down at the now empty plate which had held the wagashi, then at her watch. "It's getting late, I better be heading home. Thanks for the hot chocolate kid. Remember not to stay out too late, or I'll find you and drain your delinquent energy." She said smiling.

She set down her mug and stood up, giving Tatewaki a small wave before blending back into the crowd streaming past the cafe.

Tatewaki peered into the dregs of his cold tea. Was she right? Was it really as simple as that? He would have to think on the matter further. He set a 5,000 yen note down on the table and made his own way into the night.

He walked for several minutes, quickly leaving the bustling district behind him, the streetlights becoming more spaced out and dimmer as he approached his home.

He entered the silent and dark estate as usual, finding no one else at home. No lights or sounds betraying the presence of another living soul. Tatewaki quickly made his way to his own room and undressed and prepared for bed.

His mind was so filled with thoughts of his conversation with Miss Ninomiya that it wasn't until he was preparing to turn off his light that he remembered what else he had wished to know that day.

"Sasuke." He called out.

The small ninja appeared from a hole in the ceiling after being summoned.

"Yes sir?"

"Did you have the opportunity to visit my father today Sasuke?"

The ninja dropped from the ceiling and assumed a kneeling position in front of Tatewaki, ready to report to the boy.

"Yes sir I did." he responded. "You're father has several complaints concerning his health, but the staff of the hospital he is currently residing in believe that he is fabricating his ailments. As such he will be returning home tomorrow."

Tatewaki stared at the ninja as he asked, "And my father, did you tell him I asked after him?"

Sasuke suddenly looked uncomfortable. "I … I did, sir."

Tatewaki could tell that there was more to be said on that point, but it would likely only serve to crush his feelings, as well as Sasuke's. So with a wave of dismissal Tatewaki said, "That is good. Thank you Sasuke. You may go now."

The ninja silently disappeared, leaving Tatewaki to his thoughts. He sat on his bed for a few moments, regarding his hands and the floor of his room. Then turned off the light and waited for sleep to come to him.

* * *

Thank you for the reviews, even if this story isn't as popular as my other one I'm currently working on. I didn't particularly like this chapter, I felt that the style was too jarring and disassociative but hopefully you'll look past that, because this is the best I've got at the moment.

On a side note, anyone have any tricks they would like to share to aid in yeast proofing? My kitchen is becoming rather cool in the morning, which retards the growth of yeast necessary for getting bread the way I like it. Any advice would be much appreciated.


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